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A bunch of lucky passengers may have made aviation history this week on a Norwegian Air Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight from New York to London. The plane rode tailwinds of more than 200 mph on Jan. 15, allowing it to make the trip in just 5 hours and 13 minutes. 。
According to Norwegian Air, that's the fastest transatlantic trip ever for a subsonic commercial aircraft. 。
SEE ALSO:Planes flew from New York to London at near-supersonic speeds due to powerhouse jet stream 。Those tailwinds -- which hit 202 mph, according to Norwegian -- propelled the plane to a top speed of 776 mph relative to the ground, also known as its groundspeed. The Dreamliner is the fuel-efficient plane Boeing unveiled in 2007. It boasts more leg room and larger windows than your average commercial jetliner, smart LED lighting, and the use of lightweight composite materials. 。
Computer model simulation of jet stream winds on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, when the flight record was set. The winds are blowing from west to east.Credit: Tropical Tidbits。The jet stream that helped propel the plane is the fast-moving current of air at upper levels of the atmosphere that plays a key role in separating air masses and spawning storms. It reaches its fastest speeds during the winter in the northern hemisphere, when temperature contrast between the equator and the North Pole is at its maximum. 。
On Monday, Norwegian flight DY7014 left New York City's JFK airport at 11:44 a.m. and arrived at London Gatwick at 9:57 p.m. local time -- saving the 284 passengers on the flight 53 minutes off their scheduled flying time. 。
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The previous subsonic transatlantic flight record was 5 hours and 16 minutes, which was set in 2015. 。
That's nothing compared to the Concorde, the supersonic passenger jet that once flew from New York to London in just 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds, according to British Airways. Sadly, it made its last commercial flight in 2003. 。
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And then there's the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. In 1974, the now-retired military spy plane made the trip in 1 hour, 54 minutes, and 56.4 seconds.。 Of course, the Dreamliner is probably 。 Of course, the Dreamliner is probably。
a little 。
more comfortable than the Blackbird. Hopefully those passengers were able to get in a pint or two with their extra hour in London. 。
Science editor Andrew Freedman contributed reporting. 。
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